


Living in Your Memory

by TonyStarkAlive3000



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Cancer, Gen, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Tony Stark, Supportive May Parker (Spider-Man), Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:34:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25733644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TonyStarkAlive3000/pseuds/TonyStarkAlive3000
Summary: Peter has a bad habit of ignoring his body when it's sick or injured. All that's about to change when he  starts exhibiting symptoms of a fatal illness. Peter doesn't know how he's going to deal with this new obstacle in his life. Luckily he has his Avenger family by his side.Takes place after Civil War. The Accords were scrapped after everyone realized how stupid they were. The Rogues were acquitted. Bucky never killed Tony's parents. Steve and Tony resolve their differences. The Avengers are back together.There is no Thanos. Peter does not get turned to dust. Last but certainly not least,TONY DOES NOT DIE.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	1. Symptoms

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Major Character Death. 
> 
> I tried to make this as medically accurate as possible. I'm not a doctor so if it seems I don't know what I'm talking about, I really don't. Even though I did like 3 days of research.

The first was the fatigue. Peter had always been full of energy, but lately he was lucky if he was able to get out of bed in the mornings. But Peter was always one to dismiss inconveniences, and this was no exception. So, he did what he usually did and ignored it as much as he could. He went to school, hung out with the Avengers, and continued his patrols as Spiderman. 

The second symptom was ignored as well. The fifteen-year-old was constantly running around everywhere, so the bruises that showed up on his skin seemingly out of nowhere was of no importance to him. He figured he must have bumped into something without knowing it. These particular bruises did not fade as quickly as regular bruises usually do. This should have been an indicator, but Peter never gave them a second thought. 

But the third symptom was what made Peter suspect something was amiss. Due to his powers, he had a fast metabolism. To keep up with it, he had to eat a lot more food than before his spider bite. He also had to eat more often. He’d been doing good with that part seeing that Mr. Stark was supplying him and his Aunt May with food. He’d been helping with the groceries after finding out about his intern’s metabolism, after he’d passed out from low blood sugar in the lab. 

Peter had started noticing that he just wasn’t as hungry anymore. He’d be sitting at the dining room table about to eat dinner and when he would take a bite, he would find that he could not take another. Most of the time, he’d had to force himself to eat because there was no way in hell that he would ever let Mr. Stark see him pass out again. But the loss of appetite was starting to become a problem. At this point he had to know there was something wrong. Maybe his metabolism was slowing down. Maybe he was losing his powers. Whatever the reason, it was now a concern. 

It was nothing compared to the fourth symptom. 

In sixth period English, the class had been reading Julius Caesar and working on discussion questions. Peter had been writing down his answer to question 7, ‘Give evidence from Scene Two to explain why Cassius is plotting to overthrow Caesar’ when he felt it. The warm liquid began to leak from his nose onto his paper. He stared in astonishment as more blood stained his paper. 

“Dude, your nose is bleeding!” A voice whispered from his right. He looked up to see his best friend Ned Leeds looking at him in concern. Peter immediately used the sleeve of his jacket to stem the flow of blood and then raised his hand. 

“Yes Mr. Parker?” 

“May I go to the restroom?” 

His teacher looked concerned at the hand on his nose, but she granted permission with a nod of her head. Peter stood up and made his way out of the classroom and on his way to the nearest men’s room. 

In the restroom, Peter entered the first stall he saw and grabbing a wad of toilet paper, used it to pinch his nose. He tilted his head forward and stayed in that position until he was sure the bleeding had stopped. He threw the bloody wad into the garbage, washed his hands, and grabbed more toilet paper to use if he had another nosebleed. 

Peter had told no one how much that had scared him. The last thing he wanted was to worry anyone, especially his Aunt. The woman was too easy to worry. When she found out that her nephew was Spiderman, she freaked. And of course, that meant that he freaked out. After that, she would constantly check up on him, even going as far as texting him in the middle of class. When he didn’t respond immediately, she would go into a frenzy. Peter had once tried to break her of that habit but stopped after realizing he was fighting a losing battle. 

The fifth symptom was another major indicator to Peter that perhaps he shouldn’t be ignoring the signs. He had just taken a shower and was drying off when he saw it. A suspicious, angry red spot located on his left wrist. At first Peter figured it was a rash and left it alone. But then more started showing up, some remarkably close to where the first one was, and Peter was spooked. In fact, as soon as he left the bathroom, he turned on his laptop, a present from Mr. Stark, and started researching rashes. He soon grew frustrated from lack of decent results and called it quits. 

After that, Peter stopped thinking about it, about all of it. He just assumed it was all going to go away. He had no idea how wrong he was.   
It was third period, Physical Education when it happened. Peter, Ned, and a few of his classmates were playing Volleyball against their other classmates. Peter’s team was winning, and he was up to serve. He held the ball in his left hand and used his right to underhand the ball. That was the last thing he saw before everything suddenly turned dark. 

Peter came to in the ambulance. He opened his eyes and groaned. The lights were too bright. He could feel the headache coming in.  
“Peter?” he heard a voice call his name. “Can you open your eyes for me?” Peter peeled them open one by one until he was staring into the eyes of a blond woman. She smiled when their eyes met. “I’m Jessie, I’m going to be taking care of you until you reach the hospital. How are you feeling?” She shined a light into both his eyes as she spoke. 

“Wha.. wha happen?” he slurred looking around him. “Where am I?”   
“You passed out in your gym class, honey.” She informed him, now checking his blood pressure. “You’re in an ambulance. “We’ll be reaching Queens Memorial in about five minutes.” 

“Did you see my rash?” Peter found himself saying, then cursed silently. He hadn’t meant to say anything about it. Stupid Peter.   
Jessie raised an eyebrow but gently took Peter’s arms and looked them over until she saw the red spots. She frowned and ran her gloved hand over them as she examined it. “Well that’s not good.” She remarked before turning over and grabbing a clipboard, made some notes on his chart. She then turned her attention back to Peter.   
“How are you feeling?” she asked, peering at him. Her response was a resounding groan. 

“I feel kinda sluggish. And tired. Can I sleep?” She smiled softly at him. “I’m afraid I can’t let you. You may have a concussion. You hit your head pretty hard on that floor.”   
Right at that moment, the ambulance pulled in at the ambulance entrance to the hospital. After arriving, they rushed Peter for testing, and performed an MRI to check for bruising or bleeding on his brain. His Aunt was promptly called and informed of the situation. After getting permission from her boss, she was on her way to be with her nephew. 

About thirty minutes later, May had arrived, and was sitting with Peter in his room holding his hand. The nurses worked, one checking his vitals, and the other preparing to draw his blood. At that point, as Peter was watching them, he realized that they could find out about him being Spiderman. He was too tired to care at that moment. He just really wanted to sleep.   
“Peter?” He opened his eyes. He didn’t realize he had closed them. May was staring at him, worry lines creasing her forehead. The nurses who had been in there earlier were gone. Peter frowned.   
“How are you feeling?” May asked, running her hand through his hair. Peter smiled in contentment. “I’m tired.” He murmured sleepily. “Why don’t you go back to sleep then?” She suggested and with that Peter was out like a light. 

The next time Peter woke up, he knew something was wrong. He saw a tall, salt-and pepper haired doctor talking to his Aunt outside of the room. May had a shaking hand over her mouth and tears were running in rivers down her face. Peter was instantly worried. An empty, hollow feeling came over him. Whatever was wrong, it was bad. Unbelievably bad.  
Just then, May’s eyes met his. His heart sank. Her face was filled with undisguised fear. Peter never wanted the Aunt to look like that again. That look haunted him.   
The doctor, seeing that Peter was awake made his way over by the bed. “Hello Peter. I’m Doctor Higgins.” The kind looking doctor held out his hand and Peter shook it. “I’m going to be your doctor for the duration of your stay here. How are you feeling?” Peter resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If someone asked him that one more time, he was going to consider slapping them. 

“I’m tired. Also, what’s wrong with me?” Peter wasn’t trying to be rude, but luckily the doctor understood. He gave Peter a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.   
“The good news is that you don’t have a concussion. All your CT and MRI scans came back clear. You’ll probably have one hell of a headache later though.” The doctor paused and looked his patient straight in his eyes. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Peter but when we tested the blood we drew from you earlier, we found some abnormalities.”   
Peter’s blood ran cold. 

Dr. Higgins sighed and continued. “Not including your spider DNA, I should add.” Peter’s eyes widened in surprise. Seeing this, the doctor gave Peter a reassuring smile. “Due to privacy laws-and because it would be a douchebag move to out your identity as Spiderman to the public-we aren’t going to. You don’t have to worry about that.” Peter breathed an audible sigh of relief. 

“But back to the abnormalities. When we tested the blood, we noticed an unusual number of immature cells, called blasts and they have built up in your body. We’ve sent your blood to a pathologist for further testing but it’s our understanding you may be suffering from Leukemia.” 

And with that, Peter’s world came crashing down. 

Higgins could tell Peter was in shock, so he gave him a few moments to recover and then he continued. “There’s different kinds of Leukemias so we’ve also sent your blood to an oncologist-which is a doctor that specializes in cancer-so we can figure out what kind you have. When you’re discharged tomorrow, we can set you up with an appointment with one to get you the medical care that you need. Do you have any questions for me?” He looked at Peter who was staring into space. He had still been listening however, and he slowly turned to the doctor. 

“How did this happen? I was a healthy fifteen-year-old. I don’t understand.” Peter choked down a sob and May immediately grasped her nephew’s hand in comfort, tears still rolling down her face. 

The doctor opened his mouth to speak but Peter spoke up again. “Am I going to die?” May choked on her sobs at the question. The doctor looked at him sadly. “We’ll try our damn hardest not to let you. New York needs you. Hell, the world needs you. Your Aunt needs you.” Out of the corner of Peter’s eye, he saw May nodding in agreement. “We’re gonna do our very best to save you.” Peter smiled. 

“I believe you.” He told the doctor. “You know, I never met a doctor who swore before.”   
Higgins grinned at him.   
“You want me to stop?”   
“No, it’s cool. You’re cool.”   
Higgins laughed and patted his patient on the shoulder. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, he left the Parkers with their thoughts.


	2. Oncologist and Official Diagnosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is discharged and goes to the oncologist, where he receives devastating news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Thanks for hanging in there.

Peter laid in the hospital bed, too anxious to fall asleep. Right now, it was 3:30 in the morning and the only sounds that could be heard was the footsteps of nurses checking up on their patients. May had gone home, promising to return in the morning. 

Peter felt a stab of jealousy of his Aunt. She wasn’t the one in the damn hospital bed. She wasn’t the one who was sick, possibly with cancer. She wasn’t the one who wasn’t healthy. She wasn’t the one going to die. After that thought, Peter immediately felt guilty. And hopeless. He had no idea what was going to happen from here and that terrified him. 

He sighed wearily and looked out the window. There was probably muggings and other crime going on and here he was, stuck in a freaking hospital bed. Peter longed to be out there being Spiderman. He felt responsible for every crime that took place while he was lying here. People were probably being hurt and Spiderman was letting them down. He felt his eyes fill with tears. 

The tears leaked from his eyes when he realized he would have to tell Ned. And Mr. Stark, along with the other Avengers. His heart beat faster at the thought of telling them. How would they react? Peter could already see their pitying glances, and he already hated it. He couldn’t stand anyone feeling sorry for him. 

It was almost six when he was finally able to sleep. But even in his dreams he was plagued by the crippling fear. The never-ending questions floating around in his brain. Was he going to die? How did this happen? Why him? What was going to happen to May after he was gone? 

Peter wasn’t aware of the fingers pressing against his wrist, or the hand on his forehead until suddenly he shot straight up in bed, a strangled scream escaping his lips. Immediately there was hands everywhere, touching his shoulders, his wrist, his cheeks. 

“Peter!” There were voices calling his name. He sucked in deep breaths and when he was calm he looked up. Dr. Higgins, along with May were staring down at him in concern. Peter had no idea when May came in or how long she’d been there and suddenly he was embarrassed. He had a nightmare. 

“What time is it?” he groaned, rubbing his eyes with his fists. “It’s almost ten.” Higgins replied, pulling out a light and shining it into Peter’s pupils. Peter flinched from the light.   
“We came in here, and you were moaning so we assumed you were in pain. But now I’m gonna take a gander that it was a nightmare, yes?” Peter looked down, feeling ashamed. May, seeing this took one of his hands in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “There’s nothing wrong with having nightmares, honey.” She told him soothingly. He avoided her eyes.   
“Peter, we’re not going to think less of you for having a nightmare.” Higgins told him, grabbing the chair next to Peter’s bed, and sitting on it. “Nightmares are normal psychological responses to emotional disturbances. You were just told some gut-wrenching news. It’s perfectly normal to be scared, and it’s perfectly normal to have nightmares.”   
Peter just nodded and stared at his feet at the end of the bed. Higgins sighed as he observed his forlorn patient. 

“So, I made an appointment for you at Queens Medical Associates with a Dr. Amanda Mary-Alkins for tomorrow at 11.” The doctor handed Peter an appointment card with all the important information on it. “I’m also gonna hand you some information about what to expect with an oncologist, your treatment options, any and all medical procedure that may have to be performed, etcetera, etcetera.” Higgins gave him a yellow folder. Peter opened it up hesitantly and started looking at all the information. It was too much. “I’ve also taken the liberty of looking into some cancer support groups for you. It’s all there in that folder. I think the groups will benefit you and your Aunt to help you both understand and cope with this diagnosis.” 

Peter looked up. “But I don’t have to go to those right?” May spoke up before the doctor could. “You don’t have to, but like the doctor said, it can help us cope with this. I think it can do some good.” Dr. Higgins nodded in agreement. “No one’s forcing you to go, but the resource’s available if you want to use it.” Higgins stood up and gave Peter a smile. “You think about it, while I go work on your discharge papers.” With that he waltzed right out of the room. May immediately took his abandoned position by the side of Peter’s bed. She smiled sadly at her nephew who returned it. 

“I haven’t told Tony, or the other Avengers yet.” She whispered. “I figured we could tell Tony first, maybe invite him over to dinner or something.” Peter fiddled with his fingers. “I was kind of hoping to tell him on my own.” He looked up at his Aunt. “If that’s okay with you.” May gave his hand a squeeze. “Whatever you’re most comfortable with, honey.”   
Peter opened his mouth to utter his thanks, but just then two nurses came in. They both smiled at him and made their way over to his side. The male spoke first. “Hey Peter, guess whose name is also Peter?” He gave young Peter such a goofy grin that he couldn’t help but laugh. “And my coworker’s Emilia, not to be confused with the beautiful actress who played Daenerys in Game of Thrones.” Peter grinned in amusement. Emilia rolled her eyes playfully at her coworker’s antics. 

“Are you ready to get the hell outta here?” Peter asked, taking his vitals. Young Peter nodded enthusiastically. Emilia slapped the male nurse’s arm. “Be professional!” She then turned to May. “Do you have his clothes that he can change into?” May nodded and picked up a bag Peter hadn’t noticed she had brought with her. The not so professional nurse was now taking the IV out of Peter’s arm while simultaneously cracking jokes about vampires. Peter was almost crying from holding in his laughter. After the nurse took the IV out, he carefully bandaged the wound. 

“Do you think you can get up on your own so you can change into your clothes?” Nurse Peter asked. “You’re free to go home in those rags, but don’t expect to meet Prince Charming wearing them.” Peter smirked. May just shook her head, amused. Peter sat up and swung his legs off the bed and slowly stood up. Both nurses were on standby in case he fell, but he was able to stay upright. Emilia took the bag of clothes from May and then led Peter to the bathroom to change. 

“You need any help, or do you got it?” she asked, lingering in the doorway. Peter took the bag from her. “I got it. Thanks.” She smiled and left to give him his privacy.   
“We’re going to leave now!” Peter heard Nurse Peter call to him. “It’s been fun, Spiderboy!” Peter almost growled at him. “It’s Spiderman!” There was a laugh in response. 

When he came out a few moments later, he saw Dr. Higgins with May. May appeared to be signing his discharge papers. Peter put his worn hospital gown on the bed and walked over to them. May looked up and smiled when she saw him coming. 

“Good, you’re here.” She reached for his hand and pulled him close. “We were going over your discharge papers.”   
Dr. Higgins gave Peter a reassuring pat on the back. “We just need your signature right there and you’re all set to go home.” Peter took the pen from the doctor and instantly signed his name. There, it was finished. Now he could get the hell out of there. Peter hated hospitals; they were so depressing. In some cases, it’s where people go to die. The thought of dying made Peter want to throw up. 

“Take care of yourself, Peter.” Higgins held out his hand and they shook on it. And now Peter and May were in the car headed home. Thank the Lord. 

“Dr. Higgins suggested you take the rest of today and all of tomorrow off from school.” May said, breaking the silence. “Just to build your strength back up.” Peter swallowed and looked at his Aunt. “I want to go back tomorrow after my appointment.” He told her. She frowned. “Are you sure? I’m more than happy to stay home with you.” Peter smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m sure. Ned’s probably freaking out, wondering if I’m okay. And I don’t want to get too far behind on homework.” May gave him a sad smile and returned her focus to the road. “If that’s what you really want.” Peter nodded. “It is.” 

That night Peter laid in bed, trying hard to think positive about the whole situation, but the only thing he could think of was a tombstone, with his name written on it. He tried everything to get that image out of his head, even blasting Nickelback through his headphones but to no avail. All he could imagine was his own funeral. 

That was enough for the tears he had been so desperate to suppress to finally make their way down his face. The sobs built up in his chest, up his throat and eventually out his lips. To mask the sounds, Peter rolled over on his stomach and pressed his face to his pillow. It’s safe to assume that he did not get even an ounce of sleep. 

The next morning after a breakfast of oatmeal-in which he took two bites-May drove him to Queens Medical Associates for his appointment. His stomach was in knots and he kept fidgeting in his seat. After ten minutes, they pulled into the parking lot. They entered the building and checked in at the front desk. They did not have to wait long before they were called back. After getting Peter’s height and weight, the RN led May and Peter to an office and were informed the oncologist would be right with them. 

Exactly 267 seconds later-Peter had been counting-the door swung open and a petite middle-aged brunette walked in. She smiled at them as she walked around to her desk. She cleared her throat before she began.   
“You must be Peter.” Peter nodded. “And you’re his Aunt?” she asked May. May confirmed with a single nod. “I’m Dr. Mary Alkins, I’m your oncologist. I assume Dr. Higgins explained what I do?”   
Peter nodded again.   
She smiled and then pulled out a file from behind her. She quickly read through it and then gave a heavy sigh.   
“I got your test results back from the pathologist. I’m afraid that you have Acute Myeloid Leukemia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite nurses are the nurses who can make you laugh and are cracking jokes. I think they make hospitals less depressing. 
> 
> I'll update as soon as I can.


	3. Telling Ned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter returns to school and after inviting Ned over to his apartment, tells him his devastating news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for coming back! I feel like I could've done a better job at the beginning of this chapter, but it's the best I can do.

May let out a strangled cry and placed a hand over her mouth. Peter just sat there, face blank but on the inside, he was a mess. There was a storm brewing in him, a tornado of feelings. Fear, worry, and even anger were twisting up his insides. Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It sounded bad, and judging from the look on the doctor’s face, he knew. It was bad. 

“Like all Acute Leukemias, Acute Myeloid is the most rapidly progressing cancer.” As the oncologist continued to speak, Peter began to feel as if he were underwater and he was drowning. With every word Dr. Alkins was saying, he plunged deeper into the murky depths of his sorrow. 

“-the best course of action is to start with a biopsy to see if the cancer has started to spread. Then we should evaluate what treatment would be most effective, which in this case would be chemotherapy. We’ll start with that and-“Peter spaced out again. He did not want to hear anymore. He could not bear to pay attention, because every word was like a stab to his heart. He looked over to May and realized that if he died, he would be leaving May all by herself. She had already lost her husband about eight months ago, and now  
she was going to lose Peter. 

Peter continued to look at his Aunt, who was so pale, and getting paler as she listened to the doctor. The tears kept pouring down her face and they didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. He began to fell guilty. It was his fault. He was making his Aunt cry. He didn’t even want to think would happen to her after he was gone. 

“-so we’ll plan on the biopsy to be performed at Queens Memorial and we can proceed from there.” Dr. Alkins turned to Peter. “Do you have any questions?” she looked from Peter to May and back again. Both shook their heads. She then stood up and gestured for them to follow her. As they were walking toward the front, May reached over and put a comforting hand on Peter’s shoulder. 

They reached the front receptionist and there they made two appointments, one for the biopsy scheduled for next Thursday at three, and the other to see Dr. Alkins again, next Friday at two. After they were finished, they got into their car and May proceeded to drive Peter to school. “Are you sure you want to go?” May asked, “You can stay home and watch those Star Trek movies you like.” 

Peter gave an exasperated sigh. “Star Wars, May. Star Wars. I don’t like Star Trek. And I don’t mind going back. Ned’s probably wondering how I’m doing. I left my phone in my locker so no doubt he’s freaking out. Plus, I don’t want to get too far behind on homework.” 

“If that’s what you want to do, then I won’t stop you.” She smiled, but Peter could tell it was forced. “Call me if you start feeling sick and I can come pick you up.” 

“Thanks Aunt May, but I should be fine.” 

She nodded, and the car descended into silence. Both Peter and May were at a loss for words. What could they say? Everything Peter wanted to say was probably going to make May cry, and he’d made her cry enough already. So it was silent, until May pulled into the parking lot of his school and stopped at the entrance. 

“I love you Peter.” She said as she watched her nephew climb out of the car. He smiled at her. “Love you too, May.” She sniffed. “We’re gonna get through this. Together, you hear me?” She stared at him. Peter almost teared up, but he gave her a nod and after shutting the car door, made his way to the office to check in. 

After checking in-with some difficulty because apparently the office people heard about him passing out in gym and they would not stop asking him if he was okay-he made his way to his sixth period class after grabbing his phone out of his locker. There was four text messages from Ned whom, as Peter predicted, had been wondering how he was doing. He also saw he had six texts from Mr. Stark, along with four voicemails. Peter felt bad. He’d made Mr. Stark worry. 

Peter turned his phone off and went to his class. The bell hadn’t rung yet, so he wasn’t late. There was hardly anyone in there. He was glad. He was sure that everyone in the school knew what happened. Knowing Flash, his bully, he’d probably told everyone he had faked it for attention. Flash seemed to think Peter faked everything, from having an internship to getting straight A’s in all his classes. 

“Hey Penis!” he heard that familiar drawling voice. He sighed. So much for laying low. He looked up and saw Flash heading his way, with a sneer plastered on his face. “How much were those acting classes?” he smirked. “Gotta say, the whole fainting thing was your best performance yet. You’re actually really good.” Peter laid his head down on the desk. “Leave me alone, Flash.” He muttered, but it only made Flash continue his insults. “If you really think about it, Penis, acting is professional lying. Just like you’re lying about the internship, just to make yourself popular. That’s really sad.” 

“What’s sad is that you’re bullying people just to make yourself feel better about your own pathetic life.” A new voice cut in. Peter looked up and saw MJ and Ned over by the door. MJ looked pissed as she glared at Flash, while Ned was looking at Peter with concern. MJ continued shutting Flash down as she made her way over to her desk. “So if you don’t want my fist in your face I highly suggest you shut the fuck up and sit your childish ass down.” She gave Flash a dark look and with that he scowled and went to take his seat on the other side of the room. Peter flashed them an appreciative smile and Ned quickly went over to sit next to him. 

“Dude, are you okay? That was scary man. We were playing volleyball and I hear this loud thud, and you were on the floor. I thought you were dead! And Flash started laughing at you and I almost punched him and I would’ve if Coach wasn’t there. And after you were carried out in the gurney Flash started telling everyone you were doing it for attention-“ MJ cut Ned off. “Who the hell cares about what that scrawny rat thinks? He’s an asshole, obviously he has nothing better to do than running his mouth like the peanut headed ass that he is. One of these days he’s gonna run his mouth to the wrong one and get punched repeatedly in the face. I can’t wait.” She turned to Peter. “Glad you’re doing better.” With that, she pulled out a book and started to read. 

Ned turned back to Peter. “You have to tell me what happened. I was really worried about you, man.” Peter smiled at him sadly. “I’ll tell you after school. You want to come over to my apartment? ”Ned gave him an excited grin. “Hell yeah! We can work on that Hogwarts Lego set we started!” 

“Dorks.” MJ coughed. Peter grinned at her. 

Ned continued to babble on, and suddenly Peter realized it was going to be hard telling Ned. He didn’t want to, but Ned was his best friend. Peter was trying to not keep any secrets from his friend. With news as big as him having cancer, he couldn’t not tell him, so Peter spent the rest of the day dreading telling him. 

Before long, they were getting settled in Peter’s room. There was silence as they were working on Lego Hogwarts. 

“You want to know what happened at the hospital?” Peter asked him softly as he was putting Dumbledore together. “Of course I want to know.” Ned responded. “You’re my best friend, if there’s something wrong I want to know so I can help.” Peter’s heart sank. Unknowingly, Ned had just made it harder for Peter to share his news. But Peter knew he had to, so he continued. 

“I’m warning you now, it’s bad.” Ned finally looked up. “Like how bad?” Then he let out a gasp. “They found out about you being Spiderman?” Ned proceeded to freak out until Peter reached out and grabbed his shoulder. “Calm down, Ned. It’s fine, they won’t tell anyone.” Peter waited until Ned was calm enough to go on. 

“They found something wrong with my blood, besides having spider DNA, so they sent my blood to a pathologist.”  
Ned gave him a startled look. “You’re scaring me, Pete.” Peter smiled in sad apology. “I’m sorry, but I have to tell you." He took a deep breath and looked directly in Ned’s eyes.

“I have cancer.”

Ned dropped the section of the castle that he had been working on, the pieces scattering all over the floor. Various emotions crossed his face, before he finally settled on grief. For a moment, neither of them said a word. Ned was trying to find words, and Peter was waiting for his friend’s reaction. Finally, Ned spoke. “You.. You have cancer?” he said it in such a small voice that Peter instantly felt guilty. 

He nodded. “I saw the oncologist today. She said it’s Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which is the most rapidly progressing cancer there is. I have to get a biopsy next week to see if it’s spread and then I start chemo.” He watched sadly as the tears gathering in Ned’s eyes finally started to fall. 

“You can’t have cancer!” he sobbed, “You’re my best friend! We’re supposed to grow old together! And you’re Spiderman! What are the little guys gonna do without you? What am I gonna do without you?” Ned let out a heartbroken wail and Peter’s heart broke for his friend. He then crawled over to him and wrapped his arms around him. Ned suddenly threw his around Peter and the two of them sat together, in each other’s arms as Ned’s cries echoed throughout the room. 

Neither one of them noticed May standing in the doorway, tears running down her own face. She pressed a hand to her heart as she watched, and silently left, entering her room and after shutting the door, threw herself on her bed and sobbed. 

It was an emotional day for all of them .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is Peter telling Tony. Hang in there, it'll all be worth it, I promise.


	4. Telling Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes to Avengers Tower and tells Tony, who has a panic attack and Peter helps calm him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for tuning in. This chapter is a little longer. I spent all night writing and typing it up. No kidding. I watched about 4 movies.  
> Also, I've never had a panic attack so hopefully I got it right, because as I said before, I want this story to be as medically accurate as possible. 
> 
> Now on to the story.

Ned left the Parker’s apartment in tears that night. He made a vow to himself as he waited for the bus that he would be strong for Peter. Before he walked into his house, he wiped the tears off his face. He then entered his home and headed straight for his bedroom. After shutting the door, he made his way to his laptop and began his research on Peter’s cancer. He was going to do everything in his power to help his friend. 

At the Parkers, Peter had fallen asleep. His dreams were the same, that tombstone he had been seeing in his head reappeared. Only this time, there were people surrounding his grave. He saw Mr. Stark, looking utterly crushed, holding a bouquet of flowers. Beside him were the Avengers, along with Loki, Scott, and Dr. Strange, who had their heads bowed out of respect. Ned was there as well, crying and holding a stoic MJ in his arms. Mrs. Potts was holding a sobbing May in her arms. Happy was all the way in the back, trying extremely hard not to cry. 

Then the dream changed. Peter was now in a hospital bed with his hair shaved off, looking sickly. May, Mr. Stark, Ned, and MJ were by his side. Peter watched as he flatlined, and cries of anguish filled the room. 

Peter bolted upright in bed, his breaths coming in gasps. He was terrified. He had never had nightmares as vivid as the one he just had. He never wanted to have that nightmare again. With a sigh, he turned and looked at his alarm clock. It read 7:30 am. He climbed out of bed and started getting ready for school., pushing the nightmare to the back of his mind. 

Peter ended up being early, so he sat in his first period Calculus class, absentmindedly drawing in his notebook. He didn’t even notice Ned slip in and sit down next to him. 

“Pete?” Peter looked up and was startled at his friend’s appearance. Ned was exhausted, that Peter knew for sure. His face was pale, even for him, and he had bags under his eyes that hadn’t been there the day before. Peter frowned in concern. 

“You okay?” he asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You look like you haven’t slept.”  
“I didn’t.” Ned gave him a half-hearted smile. “I was up all night researching your condition. There was a lot of material to read through.” Peter was touched. He didn’t deserve Ned. 

“You didn’t have to do that, Ned.” Peter gave his shoulder a squeeze. Ned snorted. “You’re my best friend. I want to learn as much as I can so I can help you when you need it.” Peter gave him a watery smile. “Thanks man. That means a lot.” Ned went to respond but he closed his mouth. He didn’t know what to say, but Peter understood. 

School went quickly and before long, Peter was on his way to Avenger’s Tower. Today was the day. He was going to tell Mr. Stark and the rest of the Avengers. Peter was nervous, but he had to do it. Mr. Stark was a father figure to him, and Peter needed all the support he could to face this latest crisis. So he forced himself to take a deep breath and stepped into the building. 

“Good afternoon, Peter.” FRIDAY, Mr. Stark’s AI, said. “It’s been a couple days since you’ve been here.” Peter smiled. “It’s good to be back, FRI. Take me to the Avenger’s level?”  
“Certainly, Peter.” 

Peter felt the elevator move up as it made its way to the Avenger’s level. It took a few moments, and then the elevator doors opened to the Avenger’s common room, AKA the living room. Peter stepped out of the elevator and made his way to the kitchen area. Steve and Bucky were sitting at the kitchen bar having what seemed to be a heated discussion on the difference of politics in the 40s and politics today. Neither one noticed Peter come in until he opened the refrigerator. Both turned their attention to him. 

“Where have you been?” Bucky asked bluntly. Peter turned around while holding a whole bag of cheese sticks in his hand. Gotta have that string cheese. Steve and Bucky looked him over as he stood there. Peter did not look good. He looked extremely pale and had dark circles under his eyes. 

“I was in the hospital.” He replied as bluntly as Bucky had been. Steve and Bucky shared a look of concern. 

“Everything alright, Pete?” Steve asked gently. Peter slowly shook his head as he opened the bag of cheese. 

“No, not really.” He said honestly as he took a seat. He opened the wrapper to a string cheese and bit into it. He was the kind of person who didn’t eat the cheese in strips, he just bit into it. “But I don’t want to talk about it just yet. Not until I talk to Mr. Stark first.” 

Steve frowned, but didn’t push him. “We’re here for you kid, whenever you’re ready.” He said, placing a large hand on his back. Bucky nodded in agreement. “Thanks you guys.” Peter said sincerely, returning to his beloved cheese sticks. “So what have I missed?” Bucky snickered.

“So get this, kid.” Bucky began. “Clint pranked Sam by putting hawk feathers on his bed, none of us even know where he got them from.” Peter began to laugh. Typical Clint, he was always pulling pranks on people. “Sam ended up getting him back though. It was brilliant! We don’t even know how he did it, but he put olive oil in the vents and so when Clint was crawling around in them, he slipped and fell out and he landed right on top of Natasha!” 

Peter’s eyes widened in amusement. “Holy shit! I wish I’d been there to see that! What happened next?” Steve smirked as Bucky told Peter how after Clint realized who he’d landed on, his eyes had widened in fear and he fled the room as fast as he could. 

Peter smiled as he watched Bucky laughing. It was nice being among the Avengers. They were like his family, and when he was feeling down, he could always count on them to cheer him up. 

After eating the whole bag of cheese sticks, Peter stood up and threw the wrappers in the trash. He turned to Steve and Bucky. “Well this has been fun, but if you excuse me, I need to talk to Mr. Stark.” With a wave of his hand, Peter made his way down the hall toward Mr. Stark’s lab. 

He reached the entrance to the lab and paused outside the door. Anxiety coursed through his veins. He took a few deep breaths before punching in the access code that would let him in. 

He entered the lab and the first thing he noticed was the coffee cups overflowing the trash can in the corner. Peter was honestly not that surprised, he constantly saw Mr. Stark with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was addicted. Peter wasn’t really a fan, he thought the drink was too bitter. To each their own. 

The second thing he noticed was the dial tone noise echoing throughout the lab. It appeared that Stark was making a phone call. And then Peter heard his own voicemail message. “Hey, it’s Peter. I can’t come to the phone right now. You know what to do.” And then….

“PETER, YOU LITTLE SHIT.” Peter flinched. “I have been calling you for the past couple of days and have yet to receive a response. Where the fuck are you? It isn’t like you to skip hanging out with me. Call me back before I lose my sanity.” Tony hung up. 

Peter smirked in amusement and had to suppress a snicker. Mr. Stark was being his usual dramatic self and freaking out. He decided to put an end to it. 

“You can’t lose what you never had, Mr. Stark.” He called out. There was a thud as Tony dropped a tool he had been about to use. There was a moment of silence. 

“Peter, you brat.” Peter laughed as he watched Mr. Stark come around his workstation and make his way over to him. Mr. Stark looked a mess. His hair was unkept, his clothes stained and wrinkled, and his eyes were bloodshot. Too much caffeine, Peter decided. 

Tony reached him and stopped when he was in front of Peter. “You look like shit.” Peter blurted. Tony scoffed. “You’re one to talk. You look like a fucking vampire, you’re so goddamn pale.” Peter rolled his eyes. 

Tony stepped even closer to Peter and stared into his eyes. “You okay, Underoos?” Peter nodded, unable to speak past the lump that suddenly rose in his throat. 

“Then where the hell have you been?” he demanded. “I was worried sick!” Peter bit his lip, then took a deep breath. “I was admitted to the hospital Tuesday. I didn’t have my phone on me because it was left in my locker.” Tony’s face scrunched up in concern. “Everything okay? What happened?” 

“I passed out in gym class in front of everyone.” 

“Are you trying to turn my hair gray, kid?” Tony exploded, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “We talked about this, you cannot be skipping meals! With your metabolism-“ 

“It’s not because I’m not eating, Mr. Stark! I am eating!” But Tony continued as if Peter never interrupted him. “-and I’d like to imagine that for once you actually learn some goddamn preservation skills-“ 

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” Peter finally shouted, cutting him off. “I HAVE CANCER, TONY!” Tony froze for a few moments and slowly turned to look at Peter, his face as white as a sheet. 

“What the hell did you just say to me?” he whispered, staring down his mentee. Peter looked Tony directly in the eyes. 

“I have cancer, Mr. Stark. I’m not skipping meals.” Tony continued to stare at Peter, unable to even formulate words, so Peter continued. “I saw an oncologist today. She said it was Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I have a biopsy scheduled for next week to see if it’s spread and then next Friday I start chemo.” 

As Peter was speaking, Tony’s heart broke with every syllable Peter uttered. Grief, pain, and sorrow flooded his body. All he could think was ‘Not my kid. Not my kid.’ The thoughts made his face crumple. 

“Oh god, Peter.” He choked out, stumbling toward his protégé, and wrapping his arms around him in a hug. Peter could feel him trembling in his arms but choose not to comment on it. 

They stood there for a few moments, taking in each other’s comfort. Tony then pulled back and wiped what appeared to be tears from his eyes. “I feel like such an ass.” He sniffed, looking away. Peter shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, I understand.” 

Tony turned back to Peter and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Come sit with me. Let’s talk.” Peter gave him a slow nod and they walked over to the couch and sat.

“I’m scared, Mr. Stark.” Peter blurted out. “I had a nightmare last night. I had died, and you and the Avengers were at my grave, along with my friends and my Aunt. Then the dream changed. I was laying in a hospital bed, and I looked like Voldemort, my head was shaved, and I was on the verge of dying. And then I flatlined.” As Peter poured out his heart, Tony’s broke. Peter was only fifteen years old. He shouldn’t have to worry about this shit. He shouldn’t have to worry about flatlining in the hospital. He shouldn’t have to worry about seeing his own funeral in his dreams. 

Tony was not aware that his breath was now coming out in wheezes until Peter’s voice stopped abruptly, and the wheezing was the only sound that could be heard in the room. 

“Mr. Stark?” 

Peter was worried. It looked like Tony was having a panic attack. 

“Mr. Stark, can you hear me?” 

“It appears Boss is having a panic attack.” FRIDAY informed Peter. 

“What should I do?” Peter all but yelled at the AI. “It would be best for him to do the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique. Five things to see, four to feel, three to hear, two to smell, and one to taste.” 

Peter quickly turned his attention back to Mr. Stark. “Mr. Stark, name five things you can see.” Tony gulped and looked around him. “Uh, okay, you, the floor, my tools, my suit, and the trashcan.” Peter nodded. “Keep going, four things you can hear.” 

Tony was calm by the time he finished the exercise. For a moment, his breathing was the only sound.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter asked hesitantly. “Are you okay?” Tony swallowed and looked at Peter. “Hold me.” He whispered, and Peter was more than happy to oblige. The two of them stayed like that until Bruce walked in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is Peter telling the rest of the Avengers.


	5. Telling the Other Avengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tells the other Avengers, who all have different reactions to the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really long, just a warning.

************Dr. Bruce Banner********

“Tony, I found the problem. The wiring of the electrical system in your suit is faulty, you might want to-“ Bruce stopped as he saw a very pale Tony and a shaking Peter sitting together on the couch. He was immediately concerned. “What’s going on?” he asked, looking from Tony to Peter. Peter ran his hands down his legs nervously. 

“Boss had a panic attack as a reaction to Peter’s news.” FRIDAY informed Bruce, sounding worried. Peter scowled at the ceiling. Now Bruce was going to start asking questions, none of which Peter was ready to answer. 

Bruce’s eyes widened and he hurried over to Tony, who was still looking pale. “FRIDAY, what are his vitals?” he demanded as he shined a light in his friend’s pupils. Tony flinched.   
“His heartbeat is irregular, and pulse is fast, but is stabilizing.” Came the automatic response. Bruce completed his quick check up and turned to Peter. “What did you tell him?” he asked, not unkindly. Peter refused to meet his gaze. 

“You can tell me, Peter. I just want to help.” Peter felt tears well up in his eye sockets. He blinked them away and slowly turned to face the scientist. The fore mentioned scientist frowned in concern. “I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia today.” Peter whispered. Whatever Bruce was expecting, it wasn’t that. He started at the kid in shock. He opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times, trying to find the words. “I have a biopsy scheduled for next week and then I start chemo.” Peter looked away in shame. “I didn’t mean for Mr. Stark to have a panic attack.” 

Tony, who’d been sitting quietly turned to look at Peter. “No one’s blaming you, kid.” He said softly. “We’re fucking worried. We care about you a lot and it’s devastating to hear about this. We’re not going to take this kind of thing lightly. Your health is at risk, and you best know for damn sure that we’re gonna do everything in our power to help you. You’re not gonna be alone in this for even a single second.” 

Bruce nodded in agreement. “And we’re here for you if you ever need to talk.” he added. “In fact, I’m going to give you my phone number and you can call me anytime night or day, to ask questions or even just to talk.” He grabbed a piece of paper and pen and proceeded to write his number on it. He turned back to Peter and handed the paper to him. 

Under different circumstances, Peter would’ve been ecstatic to get his favorite scientist’s number, but he wasn’t up to it. He took the paper from Bruce and put it in his pocket to put in his phone later. Bruce gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. 

Truth be told, Bruce didn’t know the kid very well, but already saw what an asset he was to the team. When he had first met Tony, he had been a complete tool, but seeing him and Peter together he could tell how much Tony had changed. 

Bruce honestly loved Peter from the moment they had first met. Peter had been in Tony’s lab all by himself when Bruce walked in and was startled to see him. Peter had looked up and almost dropped a beaker in his shock. 

Then the fanboying had begun. 

“Holy mother of baby Yoda!” Peter had exclaimed, eyes wide. “You’re Dr. Bruce Banner the-“ Bruce cut him off. “The Hulk, I know.”  
“-The most renowned scientist of our generation!” Bruce remembered staring at Peter in utter disbelief. And then Peter had surprised him. “I read your articles about gamma radiation! They were amazing!” Peter then had continued to rant about how he was the greatest scientist in the history of science. Bruce had no idea how to respond to that. He was not used to having fans. 

Thinking back on that moment, Bruce knew he wouldn’t trade Peter for anything in the world, which made him even more determined to save Peter. 

***********Dr. Stephen Strange********

Peter left the lab to go for a walk around the building. He had to clear his head, he was so overwhelmed. He needed a break from it all. 

Now he found himself in the library. He found a seat near the window and proceeded stare out of it. He must have nodded off because he opened his eyes when he felt himself being shaken awake. He looked up and Dr. Strange was standing above him. When he saw the boy was awake, he gave him a small smile. 

“I apologize for disturbing you.” Strange said, and then gestured to the chair next to him. “Do you mind if I take a seat?” Peter gave his permission and the doctor turned wizard sat. Neither said a word. 

Strange was the first to break the silence. “I know about the cancer.” 

Peter, who’d turned his attention back to the window again quickly looked at the cloaked man with eyes as big as golf balls. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” He denied, but his body language gave him away. Strange lifted an eyebrow in response, to let Peter know he wasn’t buying the lie. Peter sighed. “Who told you?” 

“No one. You’re forgetting I can see the future.” He ran his hand through his hair and glanced at Peter. Kid wasn’t looking too good. “How are you holding up?” Peter shrugged. 

“I’m still processing.” He admitted, looking down at his lap. “It’s been really hard. I had to tell my friend Ned, and he didn’t take the news very well. I told Mr. Stark today and made him have a panic attack. My Aunt cries every time she sees me now. It just seems like all I do now is hurt the people I care about.” 

Strange inhaled sharply. “You cannot be possibly blaming yourself for this.” 

Peter scoffed. “Then who shall I blame? I did everything right and look where I ended up! With a life-threatening disease!” Peter stood up and started pacing as he grew more agitated. “I eat like I should, and for fuck’s sake I have a goddamn enhanced healing factor, and it’s still not enough to destroy every fucking cancer cell in my body!” Peter sat back down and put his head in his hands. He stayed like that for a few moments before looking at Strange with tears in his eyes. 

“Am I going to die?” 

Strange had no response for that. And Peter knew the answer. 

**********Scott Lang*********

Peter was hanging out with Scott in the living room, playing Mario Kart. Peter was losing badly, which made Scott concerned. Due to his spidey senses, Peter was able to detect when someone was going to blue shell him. Scott had done that two times already and when it happened a third, Scott paused the game and turned to his young companion. 

“What gives?” he asked, giving Peter a playful shove. “You’re not acting like yourself.” Peter in response just rolled his eyes. “What gave it away?” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Scott wasn’t deterred. He was used to it, he had a daughter. 

“You’re usually talking a mile a minute and because you always win at this game but today you are losing. Badly, I might add.” Peter stood up suddenly. “I’m not up for this right now.” He threw his controller aside and made his way to leave the room. Scott jumped up and rushed to stand in front of him, real concern on his face. “Did I do something? If I did, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Peter gave a weary sigh. 

“It’s not you. I just got a lot to deal with at the moment.” 

“You can tell me.” Scott laid a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on but whatever it is, I want to help.” Peter hesitantly led Scott back to the couch. They sat, and Peter prepared to tell his news for the fourth time today. 

“I found out that I have cancer.” Scott froze. Within ten seconds, he began to freak out. “Holy shit! Seriously? Oh god kid that’s…that’s…” he started to hyperventilate at that point as Peter watched in horror. “Scott!” he cried out as he slid himself over to his older friend. “Breathe!” he demanded, rubbing circles on his back. “Deep breaths, come on, you can do this.” It took a few moments but eventually Scott was able to calm down. He took a few more deep breaths before turning to Peter, eyes wide. 

“I don’t-“ he swallowed, “I don’t know what to say. You’re a good kid, you don’t deserve this shit.” Peter picked at the fabric on the couch and shrugged. “I’m just tired of asking myself if I’m going to die.” 

Scott sucked in a breath. 

“Aww, kid. Come here.” He held out his arms for a hug and Peter gladly went into them. “You’re not alone, you’ll always have us. We’re gonna see you through this.” Peter was glad that Scott couldn’t see the tears that fell down his face silently. 

************Clint Barton**********

After leaving Scott, Peter went outside and sat on a chair he found on the roof. He was just so goddamn tired. He was not looking forward to telling the others. So far, he had made Ned cry, Tony to have a panic attack, and Scott to hyperventilate. Not to mention that he had freaked out on Dr. Strange. He wondered who the next person was that he was going to set off.

“Hey shorty.” Peter heard footsteps approach him and sit in the chair next to him. It was Clint. Peter sighed. Today was not his day. 

“I’m not short, I’m properly packaged for your convenience.” Peter retorted in a dead voice. Clint frowned, but chose not to comment. 

“Haven’t seen you around the last couple of days.” Clint put his legs on the table-something Steve had told him a million times not to do- and looked at Peter expectedly. “I was starting to think you didn’t want to hang out with us anymore. What, do we smell? You don’t like how Barnes takes his metal arm off and moves his stub around?” 

Peter shivered as he recalled the incident. Bucky had taken his metal arm off and what was left of the flesh part of that arm, he had moved it. It had been creeping everyone out, and it only stopped when Steve had threatened to hit him over the head with his metal arm. 

“No, it’s not that.” Peter sucked in some New York air. “I’ve just been dealing with a lot of shit.” Clint snorted. “Aren’t we all.” He looked at Peter seriously. “I may or may not have been in the vents when you made Scott hyperventilate.” He confessed. Peter scowled. There was no privacy in this tower anymore. “Well at least I don’t have to tell you about my cancer, because you already know, since you were eavesdropping.” 

“Yeah, so now-WAIT, WHAT?” 

Peter jumped at Clint’s sudden outburst. Clint was staring at him in complete disbelief. 

“Did I hear you correctly? Did I just hear you say you have cancer?”

“I thought you knew.” Peter said confused. “You said that you were in the vents when I made Scott hyperventilate.”

“I didn’t hear what you said to make him hyperventilate! I turned my hearing aids back on around the time you were telling him to take deep breaths!” Clint had gotten out of his seat and closer to Peter’s. He knelt in front of the cancer-stricken boy and began fussing over him. He completely ignored Peter’s protests. Peter, realizing this, gave up and surrendered. It was better than a panic attack. 

***********Natasha Romanov*******

She found him in the training room and knew right away something was up. His form was unusually sloppy, and he would miss his aim, hitting the air instead of the punching bag. He was slumped over and slow. She also noticed that his knuckles were bleeding. Blood was getting everywhere, on his shirt, the bag, and the floor. Natasha decided that it was time for her to intervene. 

“Nayk.” (baby spider). Peter looked up and saw her standing there, looking at him with an expression that he could not read. 

“Mama Nayk.” (Mama spider). He replied and was about to turn his attention back to the punching bag until Nat gently grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him back around. 

“Your knuckles are bleeding. You need to wrap them beforehand.” She tugged him away from the bag and toward the first aid kit that was hanging on the wall near the entrance of the room. Peter was too weak to resist her. She then sat him down as she grabbed the kit. Opening it, she took out what she needed and got to work. She gently took Peter’s hands in hers. There was no talking. 

“Something is wrong.” She said. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. She continued to disinfect the wounds as she waited for a response. When she got none, she continued. “I may not look like the most caring person in the world, but trust me, I do care.” 

Peter couldn’t look at her. 

“It’s bad I know, but it won’t do you any good if you keep it bottled up.” Natasha finished bandaging his knuckles and put the first aid kit back on the wall. She turned back to Peter and gave him her full attention, studying him with her dark eyes. He squirmed under her searching gaze and she reached over to take one of his hands in her own. 

He didn’t know Natasha very well, mostly because she was a very private person but just by looking at her, he knew that he could trust her. He could see that she was telling the truth, so he dived right in. He told her about his symptoms. He told her about passing out in gym class and waking up in the ambulance. He told her about being in the hospital and what the doctor told him. Finally, he told her about the oncologist and his official diagnosis. 

All through it, Nat’s face was blank, emotionless but on the inside her emotions were all over the place. She never let herself be scared, at least not in front of others, but dammit she was. It was the first time in a long while she was scared. 

She’d wanted Peter to have a childhood, not like hers-she refused to even think about what happened after the Red Room- but he would never have it. He would never go to any concerts, learn how to drive a car, go on any dates. He would never have any of that. 

Peter stopped talking and was waiting on Natasha’s reaction. She gave him a sad smile before taking him in her arms. Neither said a word but took in each other’s comfort. 

**********Steve Rogers, James “Bucky” Barnes, and Sam Wilson*********

Peter was hungry after his punching session, so he made his way to the kitchen. Steve and Bucky were still there, but Sam had joined them. They were sitting at the bar, laughing. It appeared they each had a drink in front of them, although they did not look like they were drunk. 

Steve was the first to see him. He gave Peter a small smile which disappeared when he saw the bandages around Peter’s hands. He frowned. 

“Those weren’t there when I saw you earlier,” he said, gesturing to his wrapped hands. Bucky and Sam turned to see who he’d been talking to and gave Peter grins when they saw him. The grins left their faces when they saw his hands. 

Peter gave a shrug. “I forgot to wrap my hands before I started throwing punches in the training room.” He grabbed an apple from the basket and put it at the spot where he was going to sit. He turned back to the freezer and pulled out a back of ice for his throbbing knuckles. He then took a seat at the bar with them. 

Sam cleared his throat. “So have any of you seen Stark? I heard he had a panic attack earlier and he hasn’t left his lab since.” Bucky frowned, and turned to Peter. “Didn’t you say you were going to talk to him?” 

Peter grew nervous at the three sets of eyes staring at him. He gave them a nod. ”Yeah, I talked to him.” And then to himself, “and then he had a panic attack.” Peter was hoping no one heard him but a confused look from Steve confirmed that he had indeed heard. “So you talked to him and he had a panic attack?” he asked. “What did you say to him?” His voice was gentle as he probed Peter, who shifted nervously in his seat. Sam raised an eyebrow. 

“Okay, okay I’ll tell you!” He burst out. “But you cannot freak out. I’ve already made Scott hyperventilate and Clint to start fussing over me like a baby! The last thing I need is for people to freak out on me.” 

“So Scott and Clint know?” Bucky asked, face serious. Peter nodded. “Bruce, Stephen, and Natasha do as well.” 

“So what is it? It’s bad if you made at least three of us freak out.” Sam finished off his whiskey and gave what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “You can trust us you know. We’re not-“ 

“I have cancer.” Peter blurted. Silence penetrated the room. That is, until Bucky coughed. 

“I’m sorry but what did you say?” Bucky cleared his throat and stared at Peter, who swallowed anxiously. 

“I told Mr. Stark I had cancer and accidently made him have a panic attack.” 

“This is a joke, right?” Sam demanded. “Because if it is, it’s not funny, Parker!” Peter shook his head back and forth. “It’s not I promise! I saw the oncologist today. She diagnosed me with Acute Myeloid Leukemia!” 

Steve froze. “I don’t know what that is exactly.” He began slowly, “But it sounds bad.” 

Peter let out a shaky breath. “It is. From what I understand, patients who have the disease survive only four to six months after being diagnosed.” 

Bucky swore loudly and suddenly. He downed the rest of his drink and got up, storming out of the room. 

Peter felt guilt welling up inside him and before long, tears were racing down his face. He sniffed and wiped his eyes, trying to stop crying but the tears kept coming.   
“Kid,” Sam breathed, “I’m sorry.” And there it was , the pity in his voice that Peter hated. He looked up and glared at him through his tears. “Don’t call me kid!” he snapped before standing up and fleeing the room, leaving a shocked Sam and Steve behind. 

********Thor and Loki*********

Thor and Loki had no idea what cancer was, let alone what Acute Myeloid Leukemia was. From the look of the spider boy’s face, they could tell that it wasn’t at all good. They could already see that it was taking a toll on Peter. There was bags under his eyes, his skin looked clammy and pale, and he was dead on his feet. 

Loki tried to act like he didn’t care, but every time he looked at the small mortal child, he would feel fear and worry fill his body. He didn’t like it, so he spent every moment he could avoiding Peter. 

Thor on the other hand, asked him so many questions and Peter did his best to answer them all. Thor eventually decided he was going to try and find a cure and so he went back to Asgard. Loki lingered for a few moments before giving Peter a hesitant pat on the shoulder before he too left for Asgard. 

*****Wanda Maximoff and Vision********

Peter found himself in the living room again, reading a book or at least attempting to. Wanda and Vision were in the room with him, watching a documentary about the Mexican Drug Cartel. Peter could tell that they were sneaking glances at him. It was justified; Peter had not turned a page for about twenty minutes. Finally Wanda spoke up. 

“You haven’t turned a page yet and it’s been a while.” Peter just continued to stare at the page. 

“It appears that Mr. Parker might be in distress.” Vision said, eyeing Peter carefully. Wanda scooted over to Peter and placed a hand on his cheek. Immediately, her hand dropped as she cried out in pain. Vision rushed to her aid. 

“It’s not me that needs help!” she gasped, clutching her head. She pointed a shaking hand at Peter. “He’s in pain!”   
Peter looked on, confused. “I feel fine. For now.” 

Vision scrunched up his face in concentration as he stared at Peter. Then his eyes widened.   
“You’re gravely ill.” He whispered. “Cancer.” 

Wanda, who’d been recovering from her pain, looked up. “That was probably the cancer I felt, inflicting pain in his body.” She gave Peter a sad smile. “Or perhaps it was the pain that the cancer’s inflicting.” 

Peter looked away. 

*******James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Virginia “Pepper” Potts Stark*******

It was dinner time. All the Avengers-even Tony who usually ate alone or with his wife-along with Pepper were seated at the massive, exceedingly long dining table and were stuffing their faces full of pizza. Everyone except Peter that is. 

Tony kept shooting worried glances at him, not noticing that the Avengers who did know were doing the same. 

Pepper noticed. There wasn’t anything she didn’t notice really. She watched as Peter picked at his food and frowned. Something was up, she knew it. 

Rhodey knew it too. He’d been Tony’s friend for years and had never seen him look so concerned. Especially since that concern was directed at a certain fifteen-year-old who was too busy picking at his food to noticing all the stares he was receiving. He was about to say something, but Clint beat him to it. 

“So we’re not gonna address the big elephant in the room?” Peter looked up and gave him a warning look which he didn’t see, but Pepper and Rhodey did. 

“What elephant?” Pepper asked. There was silence as Natasha lifted her eyes from her food and gave Clint her best glare. He decided to keep digging his grave deeper.

“About Peter? You all know he’s sick, right?” Peter stood up and after throwing his napkin on his plate he turned and fled the room. 

“Clint, you fucking idiot!” Nat shouted, and proceeded to cuss him out. She slipped into Russian as she got angrier.

Tony had to speak up to be heard over Natasha. “Wait, do all of you know?” he asked, looking around the table. 

“I sure as hell don’t!” Rhodey almost yelled. “What the hell is going on? What’s wrong with Peter?” 

“I don’t think we need to have this discussion when Peter is not in the room.” Pepper spoke up, looking at Tony. “But I’m also curious because I had no idea either.” She then turned to Clint and gave him a glare. 

“I thought you all knew!” Clint said apologetically, holding his hands up in surrender. 

“That doesn’t give you the excuse to blurt it out to the entire room you тупой ебать!”(dumb fuck) Natasha yelled. 

“I’m just worried about him!” he protested. “You all saw how he was picking at his food!” 

It was Tony’s turn to glare at Clint. “We’re all fucking worried about him, Barton! Regardless, you didn’t have to tell everyone here at the table about his cancer! That’s all he needs is another reminder that he’s dying!” 

“Anthony Edward Stark!” Pepper gasped. 

Tony realized his mistake too late. “Oh, fuck.” 

“See, now you did it.” Clint remarked, picking up another piece of pizza. 

“Clint, you fucking asshole.” Sam interjected. “Do you not realize how stupid you are? Peter was already having a shit day and then you go blurt out his business to everyone!” 

“It’s not like we didn’t already know!” 

“Pepper and Rhodey didn’t! Did you even think that maybe he wanted to tell them in private?” 

“I wasn’t thinking, I’m sorry!” 

“There’s your problem right there, you don’t ever think!” 

Clint and Sam continued to argue until Steve decided he’s had enough. He stood up and glared at them. 

“That’s quite enough!” he said firmly, taking control over the situation. “You’re both too old to be bickering like children. Now, I’m going to find Peter and you-“ he pointed to Clint- “are going to apologize to him once he’s calmed down.” 

With that, Steve left the room. No one else said a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I'll update soon.


	6. Chapter 6: Options

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter ends up the hospital again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my hiatus! Sorry for the wait, here's chapter 6. There's a lot of swearing in this chapter, just to let you know.

Peter ran to his room and threw himself on his bed. His secret was out now. Everyone knew. And Peter knew he was going to die. He felt it. So why the hell did it bother him so much when Mr. Stark yelled it out to the whole table? (Yes, he had heard, sometimes having super hearing sucked.) 

Because Peter was fucking terrified. He did not want to die, hell nobody does. He just wanted the..the.. ‘IT’ to go away. He couldn’t even think the word cancer. It made it all too real for him. 

Before Peter could release the tears he’d been holding back, there was a knock at his door. “Peter?” Shit, it was Steve. Peter quickly sat up and wiped his eyes, ignoring the blackness threatening to overcome him. 

“Peter?” Steve asked, knocking again. “Can I come in?” 

Peter panicked. After spotting his Spider Man suit hanging over his desk chair, he quickly put it on and fled out the window. 

STEVE

“Kid, are you in there?” Steve asked, knocking again but there was no response. He heaved a sigh and opened the door and once he was inside the room, he froze. FRIDAY had told him Peter was in there. He wasn’t. 

After checking the ceiling for him-because Peter loved hanging out on the ceiling- Steve turned to leave but stopped when he saw the window was open. He frowned and went to look out. He caught a glimpse of a certain webslinger disappearing behind a skyscraper. 

“Damn it!” he swore under his breath and ran out of the room. He quickly made his way back to the dining room where the others were still seated. They were startled when they saw him. 

“Is the kid calm enough so I can apologize?” Clint asked. 

“No!” Steve snapped, readying his gear. Clint was shocked at his tone but kept his mouth shut. 

“What’s wrong?” Tony asked, standing up. 

“He bolted!” Steve yelled, turning around. Everyone could see the desperation, fear and anger on his face. “I went into his room, only to find he escaped out of his window and swung away in his Spider suit!” His face morphed into a sneer as he turned to look at Clint. “You couldn’t keep your goddamn mouth shut for one fucking second and now Peter’s gone! He’s sick and that makes him more vulnerable for anyone to attack him!” 

“Language.” Sam muttered under his breath. Steve glared at him. 

“I didn’t mean to upset the kid!” Clint stood up and matched Steve’s glare with his own. “I made a mistake! How was I supposed to know Rhodey and Pepper didn’t know? I assumed he told everyone!”

“Which is why you shouldn’t assume shit!” Sam spoke up. “If you left well enough alone, we wouldn’t even be in this argument!” 

“OH MY GOD!” Clint threw his hands in the air dramatically. “So I fucked up and spilled his secret, which wasn’t really a secret to begin with! It’s not like he wasn’t going to tell them! I just did it for him!” 

“It wasn’t your news to tell, dipshit!” Sam said harshly. 

Clint turned his glare on Sam. “If you really think about it, is it really this big a deal? Everyone knows now!” 

Natasha stood up and silenced the pair with an icy glare. “This arguing is pointless and isn’t going to solve anything.” She said calmly. “But Clint, what you did was wrong. We get that you’re worried about him, we all are but nonetheless you still violated his privacy and most likely his trust. You did it for the right reasons, but it was still the wrong thing to do. And thanks to you, we have a sick boy swinging around New York with no protection. We need to focus all our efforts to finding him and not arguing like a bunch of school children!” 

Clint stared at her for a few moments before nodding and taking his seat. The tension dissipated, but only a little. Steve was still looking grim, and he wasn’t the only one. Tony was on his StarkPad, tracking Peter’s location. After seeing he was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief. 

“He’s at home.” He announced, putting his pad on the table. “We don’t have to look for him.” 

The tension disappeared completely. Steve released the breath he’d been holding and set his shield down. He took his place at the table and sat down. 

“Are you tracking him?” 

PETER

Peter had made it home safely. He crawled through his open window and took off his mask, throwing it on his desk. He barely made it to his bed before the darkness he’d been fighting finally overtook him. Everything went dark. 

May, in the living room checked the time. It was almost eight, so she decided to call Tony to check on her nephew, not knowing he was lying unconscious in his bedroom. The phone rang twice before the billionaire picked up.  
“Hey May. Is Peter okay?” 

She frowned. “I was calling to ask you that.” Her voice raised an octave. “I swear to God, Stark if you lost my nephew- “ 

“Relax May.” Tony’s voice interrupted her threat. “He should be there with you. My tracker places him in his room.” 

“You’re tracking my nephew?” May asked as she opened Peter’s door, sighing in relief when she saw him on his bed still in his suit. She made her way over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. 

“And yes, he’s here.” She informed Tony, brushing Peter’s hair out of his face. She froze when she noticed his clammy skin. “Peter?” she asked, shaking him gently. There was no response. “PETER!” 

“What’s happening?” Tony’s voice came through. May forced herself to remain calm despite her panic. “He’s not okay! Something’s wrong Tony, I can’t wake him up!” 

“Shit!” Tony swore. “Alright, just hang tight. Bruce and I are on the way.” He abruptly hung up, leaving May with a comatose Peter. 

TONY POV

“Shit!” I cursed as the team looked at me in confusion. “Alright, just hang tight. Bruce and I are on the way.” Bruce looked up as I threw my phone on the table and stood up.

“What’s happ-“ he began but I cut him off. “It’s Peter. His Aunt called, he’s unresponsive. We need to get to him. Bring your medical bag.” 

Bruce stood up and rushed to get his bag. Not even five minutes later, we were heading to Queens. I was driving my most inconspicuous car, as to not be spotted. My heart was racing in my chest, my breath uneven. ‘Don’t you dare die on me, kid.’ I thought. ‘You can’t. Not now, not ever.’ 

“You really care about him, don’t you?” Bruce’s soft voice cut through the silence. 

“He’s like a son to me.” I admitted, trying and failing to not let my voice crack. Luckily, Bruce didn’t say anything about it. 

We made it to the apartment in ten minutes, which is fifteen minutes early than normal because I was driving fast. I was lucky that I didn’t get pulled over for how fast I was going.  
Once we were out of the car, we entered the apartment building and headed straight for the Parker residence. We reached the door, where I knocked, loudly.

May came to the door shaking and in tears. “Thank god you’re both here. He’s still not responding.” She let us in, and we all rushed to Peter’s room, where I saw what would haunt me for the rest of my life. Peter was lying on his bed, stiff and unmoving. He was extremely pale and his skin clammy. He almost looked like a corpse. Seeing this, Bruce immediately went to his side and began to examine him. I was paralyzed, unable to tear my eyes away, staring at the kid I grew to love as a son. 

“Does he need to go to the hospital?” May asked tearfully. Bruce shook his head. “The best thing would be to take him back to the Tower. They know about him being Spider Man anyway.” 

“Queens Memorial knows about him being Spider Man already.” 

I turned to look at her in shock. “They know?” 

She nodded and took one of Peter’s hands in hers. “Peter passed out in PE class Tuesday, as I’m sure he told you. He was rushed to the hospital. They drew his blood. That’s how they found out about the cancer. Dr. Higgins was the doctor who treated him. He found out about Peter’s Spider DNA and so I had to quickly hire a lawyer to draw up a non-disclosure agreement that would prevent the doctor and his team from releasing that information to the media or to anyone else. That was just an extra measure though. Even without the NDA, they still couldn’t release his identity because of privacy laws.” She let out a chuckle. “Plus, Dr. Higgins said it would be a ‘douchebag move’ to out Peter as Spiderman.” 

I rubbed my goatee thoughtfully. “Did you do an NDA for the lawyer?” 

She nodded. 

I was about to say something else, but a thought struck me. Dr. Higgins. Why did that name sound so familiar? Then it hit me. Gary Higgins. I knew him. He was the doctor that treated me when I was rescued from Afghanistan. He was extremely funny, and he kept up with my sarcasm. 

I turned to May. “Gary Higgins, right? Tall, black haired fellow? Swears a lot?” She nodded. “How do you know him?” she asked. I shrugged. “He was the doctor who treated me after the whole fiasco in Afghanistan.” I turned to Bruce, who was still examining Peter. 

“We can take him to the hospital since they already know Peter’s alter ego. I can pull some strings to make sure Higgins treats him.” Bruce looked at May. “Is that alright with you?”  
May looked at Peter as she spoke. “If it will help him, then I have no problem with that.” 

And that’s how forty-five minutes later, May and I were sitting next to Peter as he lay in the hospital bed. God, I hate hospitals. 

Bruce had stayed with us for the first twenty minutes but realized his blood sugar was getting low, so I had Happy pick him up. May and I continued to sit by Peter’s bed, as people came in and out of his room. Nurses came in and took his blood, and others took his vitals. Through it all, there was still no response from the kid. 

“When does Higgins come in?” I asked the nurse quietly. She smiled politely at me. “He comes in tomorrow at nine.” I nod my thanks and then turned to May. “You can go home and get some rest if you want to. I can look after him.” She hesitated as she looked at Peter, face unsure. I pressed my case. “May, you’ve been dealing with this all week. You probably haven’t gotten any sleep. You need to rest. I can stay here. I’ll let you know if there are any changes.” 

“Okay.” She gave in and then pointed a finger at me. “You let me know if he wakes up.” I nodded and watched as she went over to Peter and pressed a kiss on his forehead. “I love you, baby.” She whispered, and then left the room. I waited until her footsteps were gone before scooting closer to Peter. 

“Pete,” I began, running my hands through his hair. “You gotta wake up, buddy. There are people who need you. Fuck it, I need you. Please Pete. Show me you’re still in there. Move a finger, make a noise, anything!” I was pleading now. I didn’t care, no one was watching. 

“Come on, Peter. Wake up. If not for me, do it for Aunt Hottie. Wake up.” 

I watched him for about ten minutes. There was no movement. The only sign he was still alive was the rise and fall of his chest. 

I sighed and made myself comfortable. I was going to be here all night so I might as well sleep. I closed my eyes and drifted off. 

“You could’ve gotten him a bed!” a voice whispered nearby. I scrunched my face and tried to block it out. No luck. 

“I tried to wake him, Gary. He was deeply asleep. Wouldn’t even budge.” 

“Oh well.” The original voice chuckled. “He was always a stubborn one.” 

“I’m not stubborn.” I grumbled, sitting up and opening my eyes. “And you should really work on being quieter.” 

Gary laughed. “And you say you’re not stubborn.” He shook his head. 

I glared at him, which only made him grin at me smugly. Stupid, smug son of a bitch. 

“It’s good to see you again, Tony.” I grinned despite myself. He may be a smug son of a bitch, but he never failed to put a smile on my face. 

I looked over at Peter, who was still unconscious. Noticing my gaze, Gary motioned toward Peter. “If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know Peter?” I sighed wearily.  
“He’s my intern, and I’ve also been mentoring him.” He nodded. “Makes sense, although I did not think you were the mentoring type person.” 

I looked at my hands. “I didn’t think I was. But then he came into my life and I realized that he needed guidance, and so I unofficially became his mentor.” 

Gary smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. “It suits you.” Almost immediately, his face turned serious.  
“We have to start him on Chemotherapy. The cancer cells have built up in his body to the point they’re weakening his immune system. He can’t fight off infections like he used to. If he survives the cancer, chances are he’ll probably die-“

“Don’t fucking say it.” I growled. “He isn’t going to die.” 

Gary sighed. “I’m sorry, really I am. This will be hard to hear, but it needs to be said. If he doesn’t die from the cancer, he’ll probably die from a common illness, like the flu if we don’t start him on Chemo right away.” 

“He said something about a biopsy?” I turned away from Peter to stare at Gary, who nodded. 

“Yes, we’ll have to perform a biopsy to see how the cancer spread, if it did.” 

I swallowed, unable to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to update as soon as I can.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! and feel free to follow my fan fiction Instagram account, freaky_fanfiction_22 for all my fanfiction updates, etc. 
> 
> I'll update as soon as I can.


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